Eggplant 'Hansel' F1
2008 AAS Vegetable Award Winner

‘Hansel’ was bred by an eggplant lover. Many eggplant disadvantages have been bred out of ‘Hansel.’ Take seeds, for example. They interfere with chewability and texture. Young ‘Hansel’ eggplants have very few seeds. Bitterness is another problem. With most eggplants, the cook must remove the glossy purple skin to dispose of the bad taste. Not so with ‘Hansel;’ the fruit is tender and non-bitter. Another advantage is the harvest window. Gardeners can harvest the finger-like clusters of fruit when 3 inches in length. If the fruit stays on the plant until about 10 inches, they remain tender and so sweet. This trait offers gardeners a long harvest time for ‘Hansel.’ The plant size is small, no taller than three feet, which is perfect for container growing. ‘Hansel’ will thrive on a patio or deck in a large container. Small eggplants can be harvested only 55 days after planting into containers. For all eggplant aficionados, ‘Hansel’ is a new, miniature plant with improved eating qualities and high yields.